Month: April 2012

 

Yesterday, April 26, ROSEdu announced the launch of this year student project: Summer of Code 2012. ROSEdu’s mission is to initiate, support and develop education based on the values of Open Source. And Allevo supports that. We wanted to be among those who encourage both open source initiatives and student projects. We do believe that ROSEdu Summer of Code is an excellent program for open source enthusiasts, like we have become, there for the idea to be an official partner for this project, contributing to the scholarships offered to students.

Good luck to all the applicants and let’s make it a fabulous summer of code 🙂

By: Ioana Moldovan

Remember I told you a secret when I was talking about our last user group? Well, the secret is out now! And you can make all the fuss about it 🙂

Leaving the secrecy behind, let me tell what this is about. Allevo has come up with the idea to develop an open source application for financial transactions processing and, simultaneously, to create a community around it. The application code name is FinTP and it is far from being just an idea anymore, it has grown into a thoroughly documented project.

And because we want to get into more details, we are organizing a special event on the 24^th of May, 2012. Save the date in your calendars and come to IBR (Romanian Banking Institute) that day, cause we’re gonna have a blast at the first Allevo “unconference”.

On April 6, Hilton Hotel has hosted the 20 edition of Allevo’s User Group.

Besides the usual user group specific information consisting of news and improvements coming with the third version of our qPay Integrator solution, our agenda featured two hopefully interesting topics: one is the near future launch of SiT! – Allevo’s new helpdesk application that is intended to help us help you; and the other one is FinTP – Allevo’s open source initiative that has already developed into a thoroughly documented project.

Please visit our blog to read more about the topics discussed at the user group and to collect the thanks to all who have been standing by our side through our entire joined qPayIntegrator experience.

I just got back from Allevo’s 20 User Group, so I would like to take a few moments to thank everyone who was by our side at the event today and not only today, but through our entire joined qPayIntegrator experience.

Besides the usual user group specific information consisting of news and improvements coming with the third version of our qPay Integrator solution, our agenda featured two hopefully interesting topics: one is the near future launch of SiT! – Allevo’s new help desk application that is intended to help us help you; and the other one is FinTP – Allevo’s open source initiative that has already developed into a thoroughly documented project.

Let’s talk just a little bit about each of the two.

Allevo SiT! – Support Incident Tracker was born from the initiative to make the help desk process a lot more transparent, more intuitive for our customers, to help them keep track easier of all the incidents raised. We have our mind set on bringing this useful tool to you by June 1, when we plan to go live.

FinTP is the code name for the open source application for financial transactions processing that Allevo is developing, while simultaneously working to build a community around it. I would like to tell you more now, but I don’t want to spoil the fun of our FinTP dedicated event that will take place on May 24 this year. And when I say fun, I mean fun 🙂 Because we are planning to have a rather special event, what the innovative people call an “unconference”. Ooops, please don’t tell anyone I told you this, cause the official message is not out yet, but considering that it will be, very soon,we can keep this as our little secret until then.

If I started the post with thanks, I can end it with Thank You as well: for embarking with us on the qPayIntegrator voyage and for trusting us to offer you a safe travel. I hope you did and you will enjoy the ride 🙂

 

By: Ioana Moldovan

The trends and innovations for payment systems were revealed today, during the second edition of The Future in Banking Technology Forum, as distinguished panelists have gathered to talk about future and innovative payments, challenges and opportunities in implementing SEPA, as well as the implications it has on the banking system customers, about the rapid evolution predicted in mobile and electronic payments, about the new solutions that payment infrastructure providers put on the table, about anti-fraud management, about Remittances and other equally interesting subjects on the matter.

Speaking of panelists, our own Corina was among them to make the audience aware on Allevo’s projects regarding Remittances. The panel also benefited from the presence of Catherine Banneux, Senior Market Manager, Banking Market, SWIFT who presented the initiative they have in person-to-person payments with SWIFTRemit. Her presentation went well together with Corina talking about Allevo’s end-to-end remittance processing solution, a solution that even if can’t be considered as the greatest innovation, is definitely a solution for the future, with various possibilities to build on.

Please read more on this event on our blog.

 

The trends and innovations for payment systems were revealed today, during the second edition of The Future in Banking Technology Forum, as distinguished panelists have gathered to talk about future and innovative payments, challenges and opportunities in implementing SEPA, as well as the implications it has on the banking system customers, about the rapid evolution predicted in mobile and electronic payments, about the new solutions that payment infrastructure providers put on the table, about anti-fraud management, about Remittances and other equally interesting subjects on the matter.

Speaking of panelists, our own Corina was among them to make the audience aware on Allevo’s projects regarding Remittances. Also speaking of panelists, as I was searching on the net for an article that announces the event in English in order to link it here, I came across the name of a panelist I did not recognize. At first, at least 🙂 I am talking about “Andrew Lawrence, General Manager, General Directorate for Treasury and Public Debt, Ministry of Finance”.

I have to admit it took me a few seconds to realize it was our good old colleague Laurentiu Andrei from the Ministry of Finance. I wonder if this qualifies for him receiving a lamb for Easter, as the holidays are approaching. Not wanting to be really mean, I am gonna let it slide with no more noise, just a little smile on my face from an innocent mistake. Still… I even tweeted the link.

Coming back to the conference itself, I have to admit that seeing the agenda and the fact that it announced a round table, made me expect for a more interactive session, a dialogue of some sort. It is true, that Ms. Rodica Tuchila, Director, Romanian Banking Association and the moderator of this forum, tried in several occasions to embark the audience on a debate by asking relevant questions, but I guess people were more comfortable thinking about innovation rather than speaking about it.

I don’t want to bore you with figures, but being related to my previous post YES: SEPA Does Matter, I will just tell you that in Romania 21 credit institutions and 5 foreign banks branches have already adhered to SEPA Credit Transfer, accounting for 65% of the number of credit institutions and 90% of the total Credit Transfer payments. Also, 2 credit institutions have embraced SEPA Direct Debit.

In terms of ideas I left the conference with, I personally liked Florin Danescu’s – Executive President, Romanian Banking Association – statement that in today’s difficult context, the innovation makes the difference. And there were some innovative solutions for the banking industry presented today: e-SEPA, SEPA e-Payments, m-Payments (Mobile) and e-Invoicing, CEC Bank’s Internet Banking, BRD’s Contactless cards.

The panel also benefited from the presence of Catherine Banneux, Senior Market Manager, Banking Market, SWIFT who presented the initiative they have in person-to-person payments with SWIFTRemit. Her presentation wet well together with Corina talking about Allevo’s end-to-end remittance processing solution, a solution that even if can’t be considered as the greatest innovation, is definitely a solution for the future, with various possibilities to build on.

This being said, I wish you all to be blessed with thoughts of innovation. Be creative!

By: Ioana Moldovan